Get The Headlines

Reality Check Recap: June 2nd, 2014

The only US prisoner of war in Afghanistan was released this weekend. Sargent Bowe Bergdahl had been held by the Taliban for almost five years. He was released in exchange for five prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. Congress isn’t happy because the exchange was done without their approval; there’s also the concern that this is the equivalent of negotiating with terrorists.

Seven people died over the weekend when a private plane crashed in Massachusetts. One of the people onboard was Lewis Katz, a former owner of the New Jersey Nets and new part-owner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. No word so far on what caused the crash.

The Environmental Protection Agency is coming out today with a list of new climate rules. Its goal is to cut carbon dioxide emissions from coal plants by up to 30% by 2030. President Obama is happy, Republicans are not (they think the expensive new rules on existing coal plants will hurt the economy.)

And how often do you check your phone? A survey found that the average person does it 110 times a day. People look at their phones the most between peak hours of 5pm and 8pm. And the average number of times users check their phones is nine times an hour.

And if you hate your job, take heart: there are some very cool jobs out there. For instance, you could be a waterslide tester. The rides are already safe, but your job would be to rate how much fun the waterslide was (pays about $31,000 a year). Then there’s professional whistler. Professional whistlers perform in concert halls and make albums and pull in more than $60,000 per year.

And now you can print your Instagram photos on marshmallows, thanks to Kate Middleton’s younger brother. James Middleton calls himself the “New Age Willy Wonka.” He’s quoted as saying, “When you see yourself on a marshmallow...You have a little moment with that marshmallow."